Nothing But Ashes
by Yuki2
Summary: YES!!! LAST CHAPTER UP!! MUST Read! I think it's really sad *sniffles* It's about Joe, who has a secret crush on Mimi, then Mimi comes back for a visit and Joe is all confused and blisfully happy. Unfortunatly, it ends too soon with tragedy-Please R&R!
1. Nothing But Ashes

Oh oh oh! Okay, I entered this story in IAC (I Am Canadian)'s fic contest, and it ranked as: Best romance, was runner up in Best Tear-jerker, and runner up for most-reviewed fic (like anyone care bout that)...well, please read, it IS good.  
Digimon does not belong to me but this story does.  
*sniffles* ooh, it's sooooooooo sad. Please read and REVIEW!!!  
AHEM...thank you.  
  
Nothing But Ashes  
What was wrong? The sky was still blue, the birds were still chirping as the wind brought a fresh breeze through the tree leaves and stirred them as the wind used to run through her hair. Everything was still the same, yet it was different.  
She had moved, moved halfway across the planet, where he could never see her again. She was gone, all history. But then why did he miss her so much?  
He strolled down the walkway, kicking a nearby stone to express his anger, confusion, and concern. He walked with his hands in his pockets, head down, as if he were the most unfortunate person on the planet. Maybe he was, maybe he wasn't. All he knew was that he was hurt, very hurt.  
She moved because of her parent's job, but she had never come to say good-bye. One day she was there, the next she wasn't. It was as if she disappeared. She never wrote. To him, she was still there, beside him, talking to him, her light brown hair ruffling in the wind. To him, she had never moved, she was still there.  
He sighed, cleared his mind and walked home.  
His brother was waiting at the door.  
"Joe, Tai called." Jim said. "He says that Mimi's flying over from New York for a couple of days."  
He stood, posed, as if ice water had wetted him from head to toe. How was he supposed to react? Jim looked at him with concern, and he shook himself and forced himself to open his mouth.  
"Why?" He found himself asking, more to himself than Jim. Jim shrugged; unaware Joe was in a daze.  
"She's visiting, and that's all I know." Jim replied. "Are you all right, Joe?" Joe brushed his hair out of his eyes, pushed his glasses up, and forced himself to look in his brother's eyes.  
"Uh, yeah, sure." Joe said, walking into his house, brushing past Jim. He went to his room, plopped down on the bed, and tried to read a book, but found he couldn't concentrate.  
Why was she coming back? Why? He couldn't understand it. It couldn't be because of him. He imagined her getting off of the escalator from the landing hallways, her soft brown hair gleaming from the lights and her warm chocolate colored brown eyes and sighed. He missed her so much.  
But did she even know she had left him behind?  
The phone rang again, and he lazily picked it up.  
"Hello?" His voice sounded old and tired.  
"Joe, is that you?" Kari Kamiya asked over the phone. "You sound tired. Is everything all right?" Joe sighed and wondered why Kari would be phoning him.  
"Yeah, sure." Joe said. "What's up?"  
"Tai told me to tell you Mimi is coming back to Tokyo for a while." Kari said. Joe nodded, forgetting Kari couldn't see him.  
"I've heard." Joe said in the same lifeless tone. "Why?" Kari (instinctively) shrugged.  
"I'm not sure." She said. "Tai never told me, exactly. He said he got an email from Matt, telling him that Mimi had phoned and would be coming to Tokyo. But Matt probably knows. Why don't you phone him? Though he's probably at Band Practice."  
Yes. Matt. Matt would know exactly. Mimi would have phoned him to tell him about her plans. Joe was suddenly engulfed by a wave of jealousy. The phone slid off his ear and onto his shoulder. Questions faced through his head. Should he phone Matt? Subconsciously he put the phone back into place.  
On the other end, Kari heard a distant click. She grunted. Joe had hung up. "He must be taking it pretty well." Kari thought. "I'd better go find Tai now." She walked through her room, through the grand hallway decorated with portraits, and stumbled through toys, racing cars, clothes, books, cards, and a whole lot of junk before reaching Tai, who was on his computer. As she grasped the back of Tai's chair for balance, she announced grandly,  
"I phoned Joe and told him." Kari announced. "But I guess his brother Jim told him already."  
"How'd he take it?" Tai asked, eyes glued to the screen as he toasted five space Martians in a row.  
"I don't know." Kari said angrily between gritted teeth. Tai turned around from the screen to look at her.  
"Don't know?"  
"He hung up on me." Kari answered in an annoyed sort of voice. Tai snickered and looked back at the screen. A green glob or a space Martian was eating Tai's figure up. Tai shrieked and started furiously tapping the computer keys. Kari rolled her eyes and walked (actually hopped is more like it, because there was so much stuff on the floor *"Geez Tai, you sure have a lot of junk! No wonder you don't invite any friends over, mom would make you clean up all the junk*) out of Tai's room.  
Joe slumped down on his bed after hanging up on Kari. His eyes seemed far away, searching for something (or someone) he could never have, something special. He seemed in a daze as he slumped down on his bed and closed his eyes.  
"Oh, he felt so tired from the shock of it all. Then he remembered Kari. Running to the phone, he quickly dialed her number. The line was busy. Tai was probably on the Internet. He thought about phoning Matt.  
It did not seem right, phoning Matt just to pick out information. They had never been really good friends. But Joe needed to know this. He dialed Matt's number.  
Once, the phone rang. Twice, and then three times. It looked as if Kari had been right. Perhaps Matt was at Band Practice. He shouldn't have phoned so early. It made him look like a desperate fool. The phone ran once again. Joe was getting ready to put down the phone. Then he heard the clattering sound of the phone being picked up, and Matt's breathless voice.  
"Hello?" It asked.  
"Matt?" Joe asked. Matt's voice seemed different over the phone.  
"Joe, is that you?" Matt asked. There was a bit of noise. "Sorry Joe, I just got back from Band Practice. The phone ran just as I was unlocking the door."  
"Oh, sorry." Joe said stupidly, thinking of nothing better to say. And then, "I hate it when that happens to me."  
"Yeah." Matt said.  
Dreadful Silence.  
"So, uh, Matt?" Joe asked minutes later (which seemed like hours).  
"Yeah?" Matt asked casually.  
"Tai told me Mimi's coming back; is it true?" He asked. There was the sound of sizzling as a pop bottle was opened.  
"Sorry, say that again?" Matt asked. Joe repeated the question. "Yeah."  
"Why?" He (Joe) squeaked. Matt shrugged.  
"Oh, I dunno, maybe she's getting lonely in New York." Matt said.  
"You seriously don't know? She didn't tell you?" Joe asked.  
"Eh, why the sudden interest?" Matt asked. Joe turned red, and was thankful he had asked Matt over the phone where he couldn't be seen.  
"Oh, I just don't think that all of us Digidestind meet together very often." Joe squawked. "Well, gee, thanks Matt."  
"No problem buddy." Matt said. "I'll see you tomorrow."  
They both hung up, and Joe discovered he was sweating.  
"Gosh." Joe said to himself, wiping the sweat off the back of his neck with a bath towel. "Who'd think talking to Matt would be THAT (here Joe paused for two minutes thinking of a constructive word) HARD?" He sighed and sat down on the edge of his bed, still shaking. "Oh MAN."  
Jim poked his head into the room.  
"Joe, who are you talking to?" Jim asked.  
"Nobody." Joe answered.  
"It better not be any of those freaky monsters again." Jim said. Joe shook his head and actually wished Gomamon was there. Gomamon, who always cheered him up. But thinking of Gomamon reminded him of Mimi, who was gone, in the wind, away from him. Both would never return, at least not completely.  
"Joe, you are all wet." Jim said after a slight pause. Joe started to head towards the bathroom, Jim close behind. "What's wrong with you today Joe? What's on your mind?" Joe slammed the door in Jim's face. He had never done that before. But he was just so confused; he sat in the bathroom and cried for two solid hours, missed dinner, and sank into a horrible dream once he reached his bed. It was nice and sweet at first, and then it turned out to be about Matt and Mimi. Joe screamed out in his sleep.  
Jim had been sleeping otherwise so peacefully until Joe's piercing cry could be heard. Since neither mom nor dad was home, Jim sleepily walked over to Joe's room, tripping twice on the way. Joe seemed like a little fragile child, wrapped up several times in blankets. The moonlight crept in through the blinds and hit the covers of Joe's bed sheets, emitting a soft blue color that danced across the room.  
Jim remembered how Mom used to check on Joe every night. Seeing Joe was now sleeping ever so peacefully, Jim left the room.  
Sunlight replaced moonlight as it streamed through the windows. Joe Kido shifted and blinked as the sun struck his eyes at an immense angle, causing his eyes to go haywire. For a slight minute, he forgot his worries, and was as happy as he could be.  
Mimi was coming back to Tokyo. Maybe not for him, but she was coming back. A soft blush crept over his cheeks. His dark blue eyes seemed to glow and dance around. There was a second chance in everything after all.  
There was a slight knock on the wooden door. Joe turned and looked at the open door. Jim was standing beside it.  
"Rise and Shine, sleepyhead." Jim called, wearing a pink apron and holding a fry pan in one hand. "Eggs and bacon!"  
Joe giggled and got dressed. He forgot what Mimi liked on eggs. That seemed so long ago. Maybe it was ice cream and cherry. Or perhaps mustard? He remembered T.K. had liked jellybeans.  
"Oh, and Joe?" Jim asked as Joe arrived at the table. "T.K. called and said that the whole group will swing by around eleven to pick you up."  
"For what?" Joe asked, stuffing the eggs into his mouth.  
"Didn't say." Jim said mysteriously. "It's supposed to be a surprise." Joe looked at the clock. It was quarter to ten.  
"They seemed really serious though." Jim added, filling Joe's plate. "So I think you should dress up."  
"Dress up?" Joe asked, mouth full, eyebrows raised, half laughing. "Are you serious?"  
"Yup." Jim nodded. "C'mon, after you finish eating, we can go see what you should wear." Joe shook his head sadly.  
"Why not?" Jim asked.  
"Oh, it's not that." Joe said. "I'd love to go through our closets and dress me up. It's just that-" Joe leaned closer towards Jim "-Jim, do you know something I don't?" Joe asked suspiciously.  
"Of course." Jim said. "I know the period table of elements scrambled and you don't. I know the height of Mount Fuji and Angel Falls put together and you don't." Joe groaned and washed his plate in the sink.  
"It's not like that." Joe said, splashing water everywhere (at least in the sink). "I mean do you know something that you are hiding from me relating to our subject."  
"I don't know, am I?" Jim helped Joe clear the table.  
"I would take that as a yes." Joe said. "C'mon, what's the occasion? Mom's birthday?" Jim snorted. "What's so funny?" Joe demanded.  
"Mom had her birthday five weeks ago." Jim said. "Don't you remember?" Joe frowned, straining his memory. "C'mon." Jim turned the water faucet off, and dragged Joe back into his room. Jim flipped through Joe's closet and produced a nice shirt. Joe put it on.  
They spent the rest of the hour flipping through clothes, but otherwise it would be boring to write down, especially since their conversation was mostly "Doesn't this look great on you?" "Uh, Jim, I don't really think so." "How about this one?" "Um, maybe?" "Oh, look at this!" "Ahh, what IS that?" Both guys stared as they found one of their dad's old shirts stashed in Joe's closet.  
So now we shall skip to the moment where Joe was all ready, and the hair was all brushed and neatly combed and he looked very nice.  
"One would think I'm going to a funeral, I spent all that work dressing." Joe said. "But of course, if someone HAD died, you wouldn't be so happy and nearly flying." Jim grinned sheepishly and shooed Joe out of the door, just as a horn honked. Matt's dad was driving the family minivan.  
Practically everyone was there. Even the new Digidestind kids. Davis's sister was there too, with her arm on Matt's. Joe slid into the car.  
"Whoa, Joe, looking good!" Tai said, laughing. Matt looked as if the back of his head was written with sweat drops. Joe laughed.  
"Joe, tell us a joke." Kari said, where Davis, T.K., and herself were playing a game.  
"Okay." Joe said, thinking of one. "What note does the American car horns all beep in?"  
"What?" T.K. asked quickly, before Kari could open her mouth ("Hey T.K., no fair, this was MY joke!" and a laugh from T.K.).  
"The tone of F." Davis started to laugh. Everyone else blinked.  
"Ha, very funny." Kari said sarcastically. Davis got the point, stopped and looked down. The chatting resumed.  
"So, where are we going?" Joe asked Tai.  
"A VERY special place." Tai said. Joe looked to the front of the van.  
"Mr. Ishinda, where are we going?" Joe asked loudly.  
"To pick up your friend Mimi from the airport." Matt's father said.  
"Aww, dad, we meant to surprise him." Matt said, trying to get out of the grasp of Jun.  
"Oh, you did?" Mr. Ishinda asked, and then went back to driving the car. "I'm really sorry."  
"Why surprise me?" Joe asked. Matt shrugged, although this might have been a futile attempt at getting Jun off of his arm.  
"There was nobody left." Sora explained. Yolei giggled. She and Izzy were playing a game of checkers on his laptop.  
Joe shivered. Of all the people, it had to be him. Mimi was coming that day. Wow. What URGENT news. Joe sighed, leaned back in his chair, and imagined this was all a dream. Sure, Mimi coming back was really great, but they could've told him before hand. It wouldn't have hurt anyone, and he was having a hard time getting over this shock. Would she really be there, or were they pulling another trick on him? Joe didn't know, and grunted.  
"Are you okay?" Cody asked Joe, since he was making weird noises. (The Sigh Grunt combination isn't all that a good one and could raise suspicions.) Joe nodded, and gulped as they pulled into the Tokyo International Airport. Mr. Ishinda parked the car and let everyone off. In the long walk, Joe felt as if every step he took was an important one in his life.  
They watched Mimi's plane come down from the skies, and Joe gulped. He had never felt so nervous before. A few more minutes passed. And then, the most gorgeous brown haired girl stepped off of the plane and went through some stairways before arriving in front of them (in the luggage area).  
"Oh!" Mimi said. Her eyes were still the same, and so was her hair. She had grown so little, but had changed a lot. Her eyes were big and proud of the group that had come to meet her.  
"Hey Mimi." Sora said. "How's it going?"  
"Pretty rough." Mimi said, giving Sora a bear hug. "I've missed you, and all of you, so very much." Mimi said, wiping the tears out of her eyes. I can't believe I'm back again!" Matt walked up to her (Jun reluctantly hung back a couple of steps) and touched her hair.  
"I though you said it was pink." Matt said.  
"It was pink the last time you saw me." Mimi said, crying openly now. "Oh Matt." She held out her arms and gave him a hug.  
"I think she's a little emotional." Jun whispered to her little brother Davis.  
"Shut up." Davis said, kicking Jun's shoe. "I want to listen to this."  
"It's not going to help with your relationship to Kari, you know." Yolei put in, and all the people who heard that (there wasn't as many as you would think or like to think) giggled. "I mean, you won't learn any strategies, I'm sure." Davis glared at Yolei.  
Mimi sighed in Matt's arms and gave him a kiss (on the cheek). Jun scoffed and gaped at them indignantly, and crossed her arms. A couple of the younger kids snickered, but Joe knew how that felt. Mimi then turned to Kari and T.K.  
It was probably easier to talk to the younger kids, because Mimi felt the admired her and there was no sense in embarrassing herself. It was like meeting old friends again, and Mimi was quite happy.  
"Izzy." She said, giggling. "Well, you've grown!" She patted Izzy on the back, praised Izzy again, talked to Tai, and then faced Joe. Joe turned red and gulped.  
"Hey Joe." Mimi said softly, and her eyes seemed to shine like stars. Joe was speechless. The next second, Mimi had embraced him and gave him a hug.  
"I missed you." She said.  
"What was that for?" Joe managed to croak.  
"Oh, for looking after me a couple of years ago when Puppetmon rules." Mimi said. "Thanks." Joe shrugged, and stuck his hands into his pockets. Mimi smiled.  
"Well." Tai said, walking over to the machine that sorted out luggage. "What do your bags look like, Mimi?" It was already pretty late and there was only a couple of bags left.  
"Oh!" Mimi went over to the machine, and seemed to skip around as she picked up her bags. Tai, Matt, Joe, and Izzy courteously offered to help, but there weren't as many bags to go around. Following their example, Davis offered to carry Kari's purse, only he didn't say anything, so Kari of course thought Davis was trying to rob her and smacked Davis on the head with her purse (Ouch, that's gotta hurt). Davis almost fainted.  
"This is so great, don't you think?" Mimi asked Joe and Izzy. Matt was being dragged along by an angry Jun ("That Mimi, who does she think she is?" Jun asked as she pulled Matt over to a water fountain and began washed the kiss from his face.  
"Oh, I remember the day she was Princess of the Gekomon and Otamamon." Matt said giggling. "She was SO bossy."  
"Well, she definitely ain't the boss of me, and no princess either." Jun said furiously scrubbing Matt's face. "Though she definitely knows how to charm people. I'm going to have to learn a few thing or two from her.") And Tai had wandered over to Sora. Cody was reading a book, while Yolei came and dragged Izzy away to finish their game and T.K. and Kari tried to sneak away from Davis.  
"It's great to be home, eh?" Mimi asked Joe after everyone else was gone. She stretched (as the bottom of her shirt went up as well) and yawned. "I'm so tired from the flight."  
"You've gotta be." Joe said, felling very comfortable, very unlike him. "It's like a twelve hour flight, isn't it?" Mimi nodded, and laid her head on Joe's shoulder quietly.  
"About." Mimi said. Her eyelids closed. Oh dear. Joe looked around nervously. Izzy meet his gaze, saw Mimi, giggled, and then pointed it out to Yolei. Yolei giggled too, but quietly, as not to disturb Mimi, and then the two of them sneaked off. Joe expected them to come back for help, but they never did, at least not before Mimi had woke up.  
She actually didn't sleep long, only about five minutes, but that had seemed SO long for Joe. Her hair was still brown, and (as he touched it) soft and shiny. Even though the last time he had seen her it was pinkish, the dye had come out. Her eyes were closed as if she didn't have a care in the world and the shape of her face, oh, Joe looked away, afraid that the loveliness would disappear before his eyes. Now he wished this would last forever and was glad that it was NOT a dream.  
But it didn't, and before long, she woke up.  
"Oh, Joe, did I fall asleep?" Mimi asked, stirring and getting up, her eyes still looked half closed. "I'm sorry." She rubbed her eyes and the brilliant eyes appeared again.  
"That's all right." Joe said. "We've better find the others." He got up, reached for her hand, and led them away.  
The truth was, after Yolei and Izzy and transferred the news, T.K. demanded ice cream, and of course Mr. Ishinda brought some for everybody. Matt was given a task to ask Joe and Mimi if they wanted any, but before the could do anything, Izzy volunteered first, faked the asking, and came back a few minutes later (again with Yolei, he goes everywhere with her) and said that they didn't want anything but to be left alone.  
Matt wanted to check this out, but Jun wouldn't let him. They all wandered into an arcade, and everyone soon got so hooked on games that they couldn't leave, so of course Joe and Mimi couldn't find them. After wandering the whole airport until their feet were sore, Mimi finally collapsed (into Joe's arms) and declared she couldn't move another step.  
"Mimi, I can't carry you." Joe said. "Come on, it's just another few steps until where we started and you fell asleep." Mimi pouted and her whole face was filled with sadness that Joe couldn't stand it anymore. "I've changed my mind." He bent down, picked her up, and carried her back.  
At this unfortunate moment, Izzy and Yolei happened to be the first ones that popped out of the arcade to go home.  
"Eh, Joe, what are you doing?" Izzy asked. Yolei giggled and added,  
"I bet you are enjoying that!" They both giggled and snickered. Joe turned bright burgundy red and Mimi waved.  
"Like a queen." Matt said, shaking his head as he watched, but with a smile under his hair (since his hair was covering most of his mouth). Jun scowled.  
Joe put Mimi back on her feet when they had reached the place they had started and they waited until the other kids approached. On the way home, they said nothing about their adventures, but Mimi chatted happily about New York and everyone listened (even Jun couldn't help listening and asking about the buildings and towers and clothes).  
"Mimi, why don't you stay at my house?" Sora asked. Mimi shrugged.  
"Sure thing." She said. So they stopped at Sora's house first. As everyone helped with the luggage, Mimi went on about how she was going to miss everyone so much. Finally Sora and Mimi had everything in the house. Mimi waved, blew kisses, and Sora shouted, "Drive safely!" over the sound of kids talking.  
When Joe arrived home that night, he slept contently with his eyes closed, praying that the next day would arrive sooner. Please arrive sooner.  
Mimi came by the next day.  
"I'm only staying for three days." Mimi said quietly as they strolled down a lane in the park, covered by trees.  
"Why?" Joe asked. "I've been asking that ever since Jim told me you were coming."  
"Oh really?" Mimi asked. "How sweet of you." And she looked adoringly at Joe, who blushed. "Well, actually, I just came to visit. I was kind of bummed out in New York. I mean, it's a great city, but I've been everywhere and this summer is just kind of boring, so my dad suggested I visit Tokyo."  
"You haven't been to see me in the longest time." Joe said quietly.  
"Yeah, I know." Mimi said. "I wanted to say good-bye last time, but the timing was off and the flight was so urgent I didn't get a chance, at least not to say goodbye to most of you. Only the people that came by."  
"I'm sorry I didn't come by." Joe apologized.  
"Well, you didn't know." Mimi said. "And I'm sorry that I didn't call. Every time I thought about it I reached for the phone, and then I thought you might be mad at me for not saying goodbye and would still be mad, so I guess I didn't call."  
"Aww, Mimi." Joe said. They had stopped walking. "I should have called too, I guess." Mimi stood on her toes and whispered in his ear,  
"You don't have my number, remember?" They giggled.  
"Oh right, I forgot." Joe said. "I just got caught in this whole apologizing thing." He laughed and flipped a huge portion of his hair back. Mimi laughed and ruffled his hair for him.  
"Do you really have to go?" Joe asked sadly. "In three days, I mean." Mimi shrugged.  
"I really don't want to be a nuisance to all of you." Mimi said. "And I'm only visiting."  
"No one visits for three days." Joe argued. "You can stay at my place if Sora is busy."  
"Oh, it's okay, Joe." Mimi said, giving him another kiss (and this time I won't say where). "I don't mind it."  
"I just feel really bad letting you go." Joe said, struggling to get the last three words out. "What did Matt say?" Mimi shrugged.  
"I haven't told him yet." She said. "But I guess everyone is kind of sad."  
"Definitely."  
"Except for that one girl."  
"Jun." Joe said.  
"What a pretty name." Mimi said, her eyes far away.  
"I think Mimi's prettier." Joe said, looking into her eyes. "Absolutely." Mimi sighed and smiled.  
"It's just so nice to be back." She said. "It feels so strange, because everything has changed so, but still." Mimi smiled.  
"Yeah." Joe said. "Everything HAS changed." Then silently, to himself, "For the better."  
Mimi stayed for three days, and only that long. As much as they all persuaded her, she wouldn't stay.  
"What would daddy say?" Mimi said, giggling, walking up to the plane. "I'll be fine, and miss all of you." The entire good bye STUFF was done, tears were cried, and finally, Mimi's flight left.  
After watching the plane leave, they left the airport, never thinking what could have happened if she had stayed, only knowing the dreadful truth of what did happen.  
Two weeks later, Joe was all dressed up again, with Jim's help. He had written a great long letter, and wept over it. But there was to be no more regretting or change. He had thought enough about it, and there WAS absolutely nothing to do about it. He wished she were there, the girl that always answered his questions, no matter how silly they were. But she was gone, gone with the wind.  
Izzy picked him up this time, and they rode to a place where there was a walk and many trees and green grasses. But it was not the place where two lovers had once roamed and expressed their thoughts to each other. It was a place where there were many rocks shaped like turtle shells lying close to each other, a sad place, a place for memorial.  
And on one of them, there was a little shrine, with a little door, firmly glued and locked. It gleamed proud and shiny, but Joe could not keep the tears from falling out of his eyes.  
Mimi.  
The word just seemed to blow him away. On the shrine were carved the words, "To the memory of Mimi Tachilca, (date,) our dearest friend and companion." There was very little written. On top of the shrine was a little wooden box (glued on) containing all of the letters written to Mimi.  
"I can't believe she's gone." Joe said. Tai patted his shoulder.  
"The plane." Tai said. "Just suddenly swerved and plunged into the mountainside." Joe wiped the tears from his eyes.  
"Why didn't they have a casket for her?" He asked.  
"Mimi always liked shrines better." Sora said, crying. "She said that shrines were special, and although she didn't like the thought of being cremated one bit, she wanted to be a bunch of ashes when she died. She didn't want to be left to rot, as she said. She didn't care how she became, uh, *great deal of sniffles and crying* ashes, because she knew it wouldn't hurt. So it was one of her dreams, and she deserved at least ONE to come through." Sora sobbed wildly into Tai's shoulder.  
Joe, overcome with emotion, could not deliver his message to Mimi, but instead stuck the piece of paper into her "mailbox." It read:  
Dear Mimi,  
I have loved you with all my heart, and you have given me the best days of my life. May you be happy where you are now. We will all miss you greatly, for your death has affected us greatly so very much. We would all like to thank you, and my grief is too great to express in words. All the things I'd love to say are muffled into a why. Why did you have to leave? But I shall ask no more, for if that is your destiny, that shall be. Mimi, I will miss you dearly.  
With Sincerely Love,  
Joe  
It was a very sad letter indeed. Joe looked down at the ground. The ground where she would lay. She was gone. He had to face reality. She was gone forever. It really didn't seem possible. Just recently she was there, he had held her in his arms. But she was really gone, gone, gone.  
He walked away from the cemetery and the shrine by himself, crying.  
  
If you want a happy ending, just tell me and I'll write you one. 


	2. How it Came to Be

Digimon does not belong to me.  
YES!!!!!! Ladies and Gents, I present you with the sequel of Nothing But Ashes: How It Came To Be!!!!!!  
Oog, so many of you asked me to write one, I just got finished! This was somehwere number six on my list of stories to write...out of 20. I'm NOT exaggerating!  
This is the middle section, so yes, it is shorter than my Nothing But Ashes, and the last chapter (I'll get it done...sometime...) Just You and Me. But it explains a very lot. It helps Joe get over Mimi and helps him find a way to get her back...which is what he's going to do in the 3rd chapter!  
One last thing, praise me and...I forgot who it was, but I've finally learned how to spell Ishida and Mimi's last name (hey, I copied it down, but my desk is so cluttered I can't find it now...don't worry, good thing it was a review)...*sigh* I'm such an idiot...oh, well, please read this and review...I thought it was nice, at least the first half was, the second was more about helping Mimi.  
  
How it Came to Be  
"Joe?" Jim asked after the funeral, the funeral Joe couldn't believe had happened. Sure, everyone had to die sometime; he had never expected it so soon. And if you knew what it felt like to have a loved one die, you can certainly relate to Joe, who felt his life had ended along with hers.  
"Yeah?" Joe asked, peering out the window. There was a big lump swelling in his throat. He started out the window at the barren farmland.  
"You knew it was coming." Jim said.  
"No I didn't." Joe said.  
"Yes you did." Jim said. "You didn't know it in a sense, but yes, you knew it, and so you wanted her to stay."  
"Who wouldn't have wanted her to stay?" Joe asked, his eyes welling with tears. Jim shrugged and focused on driving to car. "I can't believe Matt didn't seem sad at all."  
"Some people." Jim began. "Like to hide their inner feelings, because their grief is too great to express in any way." Jim looked at Joe. "Cheer up Joe."  
I can't cheer up. Who could cheer up after this? Joe asked. Aloud he said, "Drive the car."  
In reality, Joe was remembering all the little moments they had, recently and a few years back. How he used to call her when he was only eight years old. The memories, instead of bringing happiness, brought fresh and painful tears. Why DID she have to go?  
"What are you doing?" Jim asked. Joe's fists were clenched. "Joe, you know you can't get her back. There's no way. And besides, there's no one who you can blame for this, this."  
"Plane Crash." Joe said bitterly.  
"Yes." Jim said softly. "Hey, I AM sorry."  
"I know." Joe blew his nose with a Kleenex. "It's just such a shock."  
"I totally understand." Jim said. Joe sighed.  
No you don't. You can never understand me and the pain I will have gone through by the end of tomorrow. You can never see why this meant so much to me. Joe hugged his knees close to him. They were bitterly cold. It was as if all the life had gone out of him, as they have of her.  
"Why did Mimi have to go?" He asked suddenly.  
"Joe, there is no why to some things." Jim said.  
"I thought there was always a why." Joe said. His eyes traveled back to the tissue in his hand, and he ripped it in half. Total silence filled the car.  
"She meant so much to me." Joe said. Jim stopped the car in the middle of the road. Joe looked up.  
"What's wrong?" He asked suddenly.  
"Listen Joe, I know you are blaming yourself, and there is no reason for it." Jim said. "What's gone is gone, and you can't replace it. When we get home, let me show you something a wise person once told another." Jim started the car again, seemingly unaware of all the car horns that had pursued them.  
I feel so alone, so vulnerable, so unprotected. All the joys of life are gone, filled with an everlasting gloominess.  
The phone rang at precisely ten to five, and Joe reached it first.  
"Hello?" Joe's nose was red, and he had sat in his bedroom for the last few hours, puzzling over questions.  
"Hi, Joe?" A voice said. "This is Matt. Can I come over for a couple of minutes?"  
"Sure, why?" Joe asked.  
"I'm, well, I just wanna talk about Mimi." Matt said, sniffing. "Is this a bad time to call?"  
"No." Joe said. "Come on over."  
There was a silence and nothing seemed right. Remembering the scene in the cemetery, Joe wondered why birds never chirped there.  
"It was better when Mimi was in New York." Joe said to himself. "She was still alive."  
"Joe, think of how her parents must miss her." Jim said, coming into the room. Joe thought of it, and didn't say more.  
"Matt is coming over." He said, walking out of the room. "That's all."  
Jim shook his head sadly. When would Joe ever learn? When would he understand? There have been worse deaths for uglier purposes. But, Jim reasoned, give it time. Maybe Matt's coming over was a good step after all.  
When Matt arrived, Jim immediately saw the signs and made himself scarce. He didn't want to interfere. He started to search for that line about losing someone in one of his books.  
Matt and Joe went to Joe's room.  
"Joe?" Matt asked, talking out several papers. "I found out how Mimi died." He started to read:  
"Flight One Oh Five crashed into the mountainside several minutes after takeoff because it was being hijacked. Authorities are sill investigating. So far, nine people have been found dead and eleven are still currently missing." Matt looked up. There were tears in his eyes, although none leaked out.  
"Hijacked." Joe repeated. "For what, money?" Matt flipped through the papers.  
"What a gruesome world we live in." He said. "It's not always as peaceful as we think. It doesn't say, but for what other purpose? There are a list of the dead, wounded, and missing."  
"I wish." Joe said bitterly. "That I could go there again, and be given the chance to change things."  
"But you can't." Matt said, putting the papers away. "Mimi is gone." Matt's eyes seemed to look far away. "Sometimes I wonder, how our ray of sunshine could suddenly disappear like that, behind the clouds, and never return again. Surely there has to be a way."  
"Surely." Joe repeated sadly.  
"You do know she was not meant to die." Matt said. "But I'm not sure who was." There was a slight pause.  
"I could've done something." Joe said, wiping his eyes on the corner of his bed sheet. "I could've made her stay. If only I had tried harder, if only."  
"No one knows the future." Matt said. "You are probably thinking that she'd be off better in New York." Joe looked down.  
"We gave her three days of blissful happiness as a farewell gift, and five years of life to it's fullest, and in return, she has given us the most happiest times we've ever had." Joe said quietly. "But, if only she had stayed longer. This wasn't how it was meant to be."  
"No."  
"Not at all."  
There was another silence, only to be broken by two people, hurt and crying.  
Jim entered the room.  
"Why don't you think of everything happily? "He asked. "She's gone, so why can't you think of the lovely memories with happiness, not longing ness, not with eyes searching for something never to come back."  
"She SHOULD come back." Joe said. Jim nodded.  
"She should." He flipped open the big book he was carrying. "Listen to this. This is what a girl called Rene said to a guy named Vash after a great tragedy. I think this will come in usefully:  
"It isn't your fault." Rene said quietly. "It isn't anybody's fault. What's happened has happened, and you can't blame it on anyone. Being superheroes and helping others to thrive for the good does take many consequences, and risks, you know, and it's not always pretty business. But put up with it Vash, and get over it. It's already over. We can't keep looking back and blaming ourselves, we have to look forward to help her and plan ahead instead of looking back for impossible answers. Vash, do you understand? It's no use blaming yourself."  
You see?"  
There was a silence.  
"But she didn't die, did she?" Matt asked. "It says for them to plan ahead."  
"No, but look at it this way." Jim said. "What's gone is gone and what's done is done and there's nothing left to do, but to look forward. Do you think that Mimi left you behind to weep and be miserable because of her? No. She wanted you to be happy."  
Another silence.  
"I see." Matt said quietly. "If you'll excuse me (he got up) I think I'm gonna leave." He left the room, and seconds later, the front door closed.  
"Since when did my older brother become so wise?" Joe asked Jim, tears in his eyes, but this time it was tears of happiness. Jim smiled.  
"Since I noticed you were so sad and depressed." Jim said. "Come, dinner's ready."  
Joe smiled weakly. Yes, what's gone IS gone, and what's done can never be changed again. There IS no use in regretting it; there is nothing to change. Joe picked up the picture frame by his bed.  
Mimi, I will always love you. Joe sighed and walked into the dining room.  
"You miss her greatly, don't you?" Jim asked, setting the table and bringing out the food.  
Joe nodded. What else could he do?  
It was, well, late at night, and there was nothing much to do. Joe closed his eyes, and drifted off to sleep.  
Mimi seemed to appear in front of him.  
"At four o'clock in the morning, I want you to wake up and talk to the Angels of Fate." She said gently, smiling down at him. She had wings, was an angel, and she was in a bubble. Now that he thought of it, so was he. He reached out for her, but suddenly, she was gone, the bubble popped, and he woke up.  
The clock was it was 3:49 in the morning. Joe shivered. What a weird dream. Yet, he couldn't sleep. He had to wait until four. What was going to happen to him? He hid under the covers, shivering like a coward. Suddenly, something reached out and lifted the covers.  
"Ah!" Joe's mouth was quickly covered. Three angels stood in front of him. One had blond hair, one had red, and one had blue.  
"We are the angels of Fate." The blond one said. Her hair was cropped short and she wore glasses. "We have come to determine something."  
"Don't be afraid of us." The blue haired one said. "Just listen to Hikaru." The blond one, obviously Hikaru, smiled. Hikari, or Kari, Tai Kamiya's little sister popped into his head. But no, they looked nothing alike.  
"What do you want?" Joe asked quietly, afraid Jim would wake up.  
"We have come to make a deal with you." Hikaru said.  
"What type of deal?" Joe asked slowly, afraid that he was being lured into a trap. But Mimi had sent them here, and they all had wings, exactly like hers.  
"Mimi is with us now." Hikaru said. "Would you care to switch places with her?"  
"What do you mean?" Joe asked, scared.  
"Hikaru." The red haired one protested. Actually, her hair was more pink than red. "That's not very fair, and I think we're scaring him. Besides, how would we explain fate if he just disappeared and she appeared in his place? What would his brother say?"  
"Good point." Hikaru said. "Very good point." The other two looked at Hikaru expectantly.  
"Okay." Hikaru said. "I'll make you a deal."  
"Yes?" Joe asked painfully, hoping this one wasn't as bad as the last, which he had finally understood.  
"If you complete three tasks for me, you shall be able to visit Mimi as often as you like." Hikaru said.  
"Really?" Joe asked, eagerly.  
"Hikaru!" The two other girls yelled.  
"Getting him to do your chores!" The pink hair one said.  
"No, Reine, its not that." Hikaru said.  
"Well then, what would the three tasks be?" The blue haired one asked, scratching her head. Joe noted that her hair was a very light shade of blue and that it was very long.  
"I don't know yet." Hikaru said. "I'll think and consider it."  
At this time, Joe didn't know what came over him. He knelt on the ground beside Hikaru and pleaded,  
"Oh, I don't care what I have to do, just let me see Mimi!" He cried.  
"Very well." Hikaru snapped her fingers and suddenly Joe found himself in the bubble again, with the three girls behind him.  
Mimi was lying some few feet in front of him, her eyes closed, just drifting. Joe reached out to touch her.  
"You can't touch her." Hikaru said. "Or she'll just shrivel away and disappear." Mimi didn't have that bubble around her anymore.  
"Time is becoming scare." The blue haired one said. "Hikaru?"  
"Okay." Hikaru said. "Task number one. You must journey up to through the high mountains on File Island in the Digital World and find a green jewel."  
Reine and Jade (the blue haired one) listened, intruded.  
"Number two." Hikaru said, not moving. Her lips weren't moving at all, nor her body, yet Joe, Reine, and Jade could hear her speaking out to them. Joe didn't think she was breathing at all. "Venture into the north from where you found the green jewel. When you reach the area where the pink jewel, or gem is, you will sense it, because the green jewel will go off."  
"Go off?" Joe asked. To his surprise, he was not moving at all either. It must have been the bubble.  
"Yes, it will shine brightly. There closer you get, the more times it will flash. The gems shouldn't be that hard to spot." Hikaru said.  
"Can you tell me what shade they are and how big?" Joe asked.  
"They're as big as your palm and it's a limish-yellowish green. The pink is the faded color of Mimi's hat." Hikaru said. Joe nodded. He knew the color of Mimi's hat quite well.  
"The last thing." Hikaru said. "Go to primary village. When you enter it, you will smell food. You will reach a pot where the temptation of food is too great to eat. Don't eat it unless you want to never see Mimi again. Put the two jewels in the broth, which in a huge caldron, and then go back to the breeding grounds to look for this egg." Hikaru held up a picture of a Digi-egg and handed it to Joe. "Let no one know of your adventures and receive no help, or Mimi will not be successful in returning back."  
Joe shivered. This was all too serious for him.  
"No one?" He asked quietly.  
"No one." Hikaru replied. "After you have found the egg, but it in the broth with the jewels. By now the broth will look green and pink, since the jewels have long melted and you no longer want to eat it. Put the egg in it, all the way. You must do this in the order I tell it too you, Joe." Hikaru's words seemed to melt in his minds. They bore a hole that made him remember.  
"You will see an old friend at Primary Village. Go tell him about Mimi's death only. Listen to his pity. Help him grieve. Tell him nothing of your plans to get her back. Tell him nothing about why you are here. Make excuses." Hikaru said. "Talk to him until he says he must leave. Then return to the broth, pick it up (you'd be surprised by how light it is) and take it to the nearby lake. Dump the whole broth towards the middle of the lake as much as you can. Camp at the lake overnight. And tomorrow morning, when you wake up, you will see a miracle done before you." Hikaru gave him a smile.  
"How will I ever thank you?" Joe asked.  
"There is no need." Jade said. "We are the Angels of Fate."  
"Hikaru, thank Hikaru." Muttered Reine. Joe thanked her. Hikaru and Jade left.  
"Jou." Reine said quietly. "Be careful. One false mistake can jeopardize this whole thing and Mimi would be gone forever."  
"I understand that." Joe said quietly. He smiled. No one had called him by his first name in the longest time.  
"Repeat the directions to me." Reine commanded. Joe did. Reine seemed to be the youngest of them all. She was not as bossy as Hikaru and looked up to her. Her hair was tied in a messy braid in the back. Joe repeated the directions.  
"You remember well." Reine said. Joe shrugged, his mind someplace else. "Repeat what you have remembered to yourself, every night, when you wake up, and when you have nothing else to do. Jade said the time is becoming scarce. Go as soon as you can. It will take many days to go and find what you need, but remember, the three Angels of Fate will cover for you and watch over you. Do not muddle the signs, do not tell anyone, and do not ask for help. You will be on your own."  
"Reine." Joe said. "Could you please tell me what I will find afterwards?" Reine looked away. "Please?"  
"All I can say is this: Be careful of monsters. The jewels and eggs are the only ways to revive people who were not meant to die, and are Digidestinds. Mimi will come back to you, and everyone will be able to see her and very happy, if only you don't do anything wrong."  
"I'll try not to." Joe said. Reine gave him a stern look. "Look, but, okay, I promise I won't."  
"We want her back ask much as you do." Reine said softly. "God Bless You, Jou." The voice was getting softer. Joe turned to look, and to his amazement, Reine was a couple of hundred feet away, blowing gently with all her might, trying not to over blow. He hadn't even noticed he was moving. No wonder the air had gotten so chilly all of a sudden.  
There came a bright light, and the next second, he hit rock bottom.  
"Ow." Joe said. He was sitting on the side of his bed. Did he fall off? What happened? He rubbed his eyes. It was 4:15. What had just happened? He remembered three angels. What were the names again?  
Joe climbed back into the covers again, snuggled his head against the pillow, and tried to get to sleep. Suddenly, a bolt of pain shot through his brain, like his ear was being pulled sharply. He had a vision of a read haired girl pulling his ear and saying, "Joe, don't you want your Mimi back?"  
"It's not possible." Joe said. "What's gone is gone and what's done is done." Joe mumbled. He heard distantly,  
"Oh, Jade, what are we going to do? I should've warned him he would have forgotten." Another voice filled his head:  
"Remember the signs Jou, remember the signs."  
"What signs?" Joe asked. "What signs?"  
"Repeat them." The voice from the redheaded girl was saying. "C'mon, Jou, we can rely on you!"  
"Go to the mountains to find a green jewel." Joe said instinctively. He continued.  
"Yes, yes, yes!" The voice urged him. "Jade, he's remembering!"  
"I can't believe it!" Jade said.  
"Reine, is that you?" Joe asked.  
"Oh, he remembers me!" Reine cried. Joe looked around his dark room. Everything seemed so blue, so forlorn. The moonlight crept into the windows and made the walls look blue.  
"Where are you?" Joe asked.  
"In your mind, silly!" Reine said.  
"Oh." Joe repeated the signs once more. "I've never been good at computers, but let me try getting to the Digital World." Reine smiled, or at least Joe thought she smiled. He could feel a ray of sunshine beaming on him.  
"Have a good night's sleep." Reine said. "For tomorrow's journey."  
Joe said nothing. He had already settled down in his bed, and was fast asleep.  
"Hey Joe." Matt said the next day at school, in the hallway.  
"Hey Matt." They didn't speak once about Mimi that day. Sometimes Reine would be in Joe's mind, sometimes she wouldn't, and she would often bring Jade, who kept them updated about time. Hikaru seemed to think her mission was already done, and didn't bother to come.  
Joe would have rather told somebody, so that it gave him more help, comfort, and confidence, but he knew it was wrong and Mimi would never come back that way. Reine kept him company, urging him to do the right thing every time she came, so that it almost became annoying. She made him memorize the signs all the time, even in the halls, which made him look dumb.  
"I hope you don't make me fail all my quizzes." Joe said, tapping away at the computer.  
"I can't really say anything about me, but Jade is a real brain and Hikaru is smart." Reine said, watching Joe tap at the school computer after school.  
"Okay." Joe wondered how they entered his brain. He shrugged. "The Digi Port is open."  
"I can't follow you there." Reine said sadly. "Good luck Jou." Jou nodded, and held up his old Digivice.  
"Good luck to you too."  



	3. Just You & Me

Me: *crying openly and wiping my tears* It has been an honor to write this...and Digimon does not belong to me.  
Joe: Hey, stop crying and start writing! I want my Mimi back.  
Me: I'm working on it. I've got to write a Kouyako for Sonja (DigitalAmiefox) first...*sniff* I promised her...  
Joe: FIRST? AHH!  
Me: No, well, I just mean later. Of course I'll do this first *sniffs* Now let me get this on.  
  
Just You & Me  
Joe felt himself being sucked into the port. He felt his feet land in the loose, dry dirt of the barren land. He looked up. The sky was yellow, glowing brightly as if it was sunset. And Infinity Mountain towered over him, looming into the skies. Joe took a step towards it and started his journey.  
It was difficult traveling without someone. Very different, indeed. He wished that Gomamon were there, or better, Mimi. But the three angels would've been good enough for him. They would at least help advise him and help him when he was in desperate need. But he was alone, vulnerable, and without a single speck of help.  
Joe had never felt so vulnerable in his life. He couldn't do anything, but walk and walk and walk. He reached to feel his Digivice. He felt relieved when he found it and pulled it out of his pocket. Good old thing. That should help him around the area.  
He wondered how they expected him to survive, how to eat and live. Was Mimi worth all this?  
Of course.  
He imagined her, with her lovely hair and bright eyes, and closed his eyes. He kept walking, and was very content with his thoughts as the last sunbeams hit his face and floated away towards the ocean, away from File Island.  
Joe opened his eyes as the sun started to disappear over the horizon. He longed to watch the sunset with Mimi. He smiled, repeated what he was supposed to do, like Reine had told him to do son, and thought more about Mimi. Somehow, thinking about her made time seem to fly by faster. Repeating the patterns and places he was supposed to go helped too, because there were so many and the list was so long, and before he knew it, he was at the bottom of Infinity Mountain.  
Joe wished he had written Hikaru's directions down. That would've saved him the effort of repeating them over and over, which he found was a very tedious job. He should've asked how he would find the Green Jewel. He knew that the Green Jewel would go off when the Pink Jewel was near, but what about the Green Jewel? Perhaps the Digivice would go off…perhaps.  
Joe came upon a cave. He looked up. The sky had darkened. The sun had long disappeared over the horizon, and he needed to rest. His toes were feeling hot. While walking in the hot terrain, the warmth from the land had transported themselves into his shoes. And as for the condition of his shoes, they were pretty well, but Joe wasn't sure that they would last the whole journey. He felt for his Digivice once more.  
"Money." He said suddenly, feeling something. Pulling out a twenty-dollar bill, he stared at it with wonder. "Well, if I ever happen to run into Digitamamon again, now I know what to do." He tucked the dollar bill safely back under the Digivice in his pockets and headed deeper in the cave.  
It was night. He felt his belongings one more time, and then remembered that the money was for his lunch account. Oh well. Lunch didn't matter so much anymore. Joe's tummy rumbled.  
"Uh." He said. He had meant lunch on earth.  
He reached into his other pocket and fished out half a sandwich. That would do finely. There was lettuce, and that always quenched Joe's thirst. He emptied all his pockets and looked over the contents.  
There was a small pocketknife, a handkerchief (used for wiping his glasses), some more food, but very little, and some other things. Joe thought that those, including the Digivice and the money, were the most valuable ones to him.  
He walked until he came to a spot that was dry and comfortable, away enough from the opening that the night air wouldn't reach him. He felt terribly lonely, and, the first time since he was little, afraid of the dark. Each of the shadows could very likely be a Digimon that would attack him.  
Joe wished Mimi were there with him. It would've been much better, and less lonely, with at least someone to talk too. While entering the cave, he had gathered quite a bit of scrap wood and now lit a fire.  
"Oh, I wish Hikaru and Reine had taught me more!" He said, and drifted off to sleep. What horrible conditions was his last conscious thought.  
When he woke, the light was quite dim. He looked to his right and saw the slight opening. It was bright outside, and Joe, after staring outside, took quite a while to adjust his eyes back. The burnt out fire lay in front of him. Joe sniffed. At least he had been quite warm. Joe picked up the longest stick from the pile, a long sturdy stick that had burned halfway in the fire and walked out of the cave. He looked back at the spot where he had lay with fondness, then out at the wild and dangerous trail of the mountain.  
"I've been here before." He said quietly. "When I first climbed Infinity Mountain for the first time and Gomamon first digivolved into Ikkakumon." He remembered being rescued by Tai and Sora and he remembered, most of all, Mimi. Wiping the tears from his eyes, he looked back at the trail.  
"I hate traveling." He said. He loved to be stable. And the cave was just a place where he could stay, with a feeling of home. Checking that he had left nothing behind but the burnt pile of ashes, he left.  
The cave was a home, but the ashes reminded him too much of Mimi.  
Walking on, he felt his eyelids drop. There was nothing to do, nothing to think of, and he had repeated the signs to keep him busy more than three times. He hadn't slept all that well, but according to the conditions, he was in nice shape. He was falling asleep from boredom.  
His shoes felt hot and burnt once more. Several times he had to stop and check to see if they were burnt. They weren't, but the trail was harsh, and there were plenty of sharp rocks. Joe should've worn his better shoes, he knew.  
Suddenly, the trail curved suddenly, and Joe couldn't see anymore of it but a sharp ridge that dissolved into nothing. He was hesitant, but decided to give it a try. Clinging to the wall behind him, Joe edged around the bend and sighed. The trail had widened. There were several of these incidents, and most of them ended like this, but there was a couple that suddenly ended, and Joe had the climb the treacherous rocks. If he fell, well, Joe wouldn't think about it. But he couldn't help sighing.  
All went sell until mid afternoon. It was around three. Joe's watch had stopped working ever since he reached the Digital World and now he had to rely on his senses, which wasn't really good, since every minute away from Mimi seemed like eternity. But it was hot, probably the hottest time of the day, and Joe was sweating all over.  
Then, every so suddenly, he saw what he was dreading. There it was, two hundred tons of pure muscle.  
A Monochromon.  
It saw him the same second Joe saw it, and charged for it. Joe, out of his wits, ran for his dear life. He ran, panting,  
"If I don't run fast enough, I won't get to save Mimi and she may never come back!" This gave him motivation, the only problem was: he didn't know which way he was running. He was on the trail again, and his only hope was that it didn't end. Monochromon were very territorial creature.  
Suddenly, this one stopped. Joe, afraid it was resting, started to climb some rocks and got to a higher ledge. He followed the trail a bit more. The Monochromon had turned around and started back. That must've been the line of his territory. Joe felt relieved, but all the same, he knew that he was in some other Monochromon's territory, and that was not a comforting thought.  
"Oh." He groaned and climbed another ledge. The ledges were not as steep as they were now. Suddenly, he felt himself falling.  
"What the-?" He asked. One second, he was on top of some rocks; climbing a ledge, and the next he was rolling down it. He looked around, the spotted the gem of his life.  
A green jewel, as pure as gold, and as clear as crystal water was sitting on a piece of rock. It was sitting on its bottom tip. And the whole this was in a crater, surrounded by huge boulders, the size of bowling balls. Joe walked over to the middle and plucked the Green Jewel up.  
"Yes." He said. It should've been more of a victory yell, but instead, Joe, clutching it tightly, felt a sense of security. He sighed and looked at the sun.  
Due north. He turned a little to the left and started to walk. He hoped that due north wouldn't mean having to follow that trail again, but, unfortunately, it did. Going exactly north was more like jumping off of a cliff, Joe thought. He dug into his pockets and wished he had a compass.  
But with the sun leading him, all he could hope was that he was going in the right direction. After all, food supply was getting low, and Joe felt tired. It was so lonely traveling alone, and his shoes felt worn and his feet were scorching hot. Just then did he realized how unprepared he had come.  
He had come to the Digital World into this mission without any food, water, and supplies, except what he had. Supposed the angels had known about this? Joe shrugged and yawned. He stretched too, and looked at the slowly sinking sun. Perhaps he ought to have traveled at night. It was cooler, but very dangerous also. And, he reasoned, he would have to sleep during the day.  
It was perhaps seven when the sun finally sank. Joe did not know the exact time but knew he was very hungry indeed. He pulled out his Digivice, but there was no port anywhere, and besides, even if there were, he would not alter the plan just to have something to eat.  
Joe's stomach rumbled. Perhaps, ooh, he was so hungry! Joe kicked a rock in his path in frustration. It hit a wall and bounced back. But Joe had heard the hollow sound. Putting his hand on the wall, he eventually reached a place where there was a big boulder.  
"Perhaps." He said. "This is one of those places where you have to step on something and the door opens." But it proved to be not. Joe found that the boulder was just a plain piece of rock, and that with a few muscles, he could move it aside and crawl in the opening.  
Once inside, it was wide enough in both length and height for Joe to stand up. This was a good shelter spot. Joe stuck his head out of the cave one more time. The sun was already sinking under the horizon. This was where Joe planned to campy that night.  
Suddenly, his green jewel went of in a series of bright flashes. The pink jewel had to be nearby. But which way? Joe stepped out of the cave and moved around for a moment, in which it stopped. Then, as he moved closer in the cave, further into the depths, it flashed quicker and quicker. The jewel was this way.  
Joe had to admit, he was a little scared. There he was, in a big, black cave, without a light or any protection. He thought of all the bad things that had happened to him since he got to the Digital World and all of the bad things that could happen next.  
"But." Joe said. "If Monochromon hadn't chased me, I probably wouldn't have come across the Green Jewel." Holding the jewel up, he now reached a place with three tunnels. Choosing the tunnel where the Green Jewel flashed the most (it was hard to tell, and the cave was so dark) Joe continued. He walked along that trail so long that it was becoming a routine, and a bit of a surprise when he felt water in his socks. He sat down on a rock (he had to be careful to avoid all the stalactites and stalagmites around the area) and took off his shoe. There wasn't a hole, but a piece was missing, causing the water to enter. Joe figured there was nothing he could do at the moment but try to walk further, avoiding the water. By doing thins, he cut himself several times on the stalactites and stalagmites, but, wiping his arm on his sleeve, he continued. Perhaps there would be no use for this shirt later on. After all, it was his school shirt, but he had others just like it.  
And this was for Mimi. A blush creeping across his face, he walked and walked and walked. The walking business was so boring he got so bored he almost screamed and wanted to forget the whole this. But all the time, the sweet face of Mimi's kept popping into his head, and he knew that it was all worth everything he had ever had.  
Just to hold her in his arms would be like having his angel of light.  
Joe rounded a corner, and there, right in front of his, was the pink jewel. Joe looked around, thinking it might have been a trap. In the open where he had found the green jewel, he really wasn't aware, but now he was a little freaked out. He slowly approached the pink jewel, took it, and slid it into his pocket. Lurking in the shadows again, he repeated the signs.  
"Go to Primary Village." He murmured softly. He turned around and considered going back, but he had come a long way. But on the other hand, he had no clue how long the cave was or where it leads.  
"Let's just give it a try and try to explore this cave to the end." Joe said. The truth was, the number in stalactites and stalagmites had greatly decreased, and Joe didn't want to be cut again. Besides, he had no clue where he was on Infinity Mountain, and it was very likely that, if he went back, he was just going in the wrong direction, the direction he came from.  
"The whole purpose in life." Joe recited. "Is to go forward, not back." He smiled and started to walk with the path, which was sloping downhill. Mimi, who didn't have much care for his phrases, loved to imagine, and think of his phrases as compliments of her. And yet, she was right. He wouldn't look back; he would look forward.  
Joe's eyes were long dry from the tears that had once occupied them. There was a bright new star shining in the sky-a star called hope. Hope that Mimi was alive. For she must be, Hikaru (was it her? Perhaps it was Reine or even Jade) said that if he completed the tasks, she would come back.  
He must not muddle a single one of them. Joe signed. Luckily she never said when it had to be done.  
Walking along, deeply dissolved in his own thoughts, Joe did not notice the shadow that followed him through the cave. When he stopped, it stopped. When he stumbled on a rock and fell several feet into the deep cave, it stopped, and then suddenly darted on.  
Joe couldn't remember, but he hoped that he had closed the cave entrance. Too late to check now. If this cave had a bigger opening than the last one, Joe would've camped in it, but this one seemed spooky, and full of ghosts.  
At last, he saw a light in front of him, and emerged from the tunnel. The figure stayed in the background and watched as Joe walked ahead. For Joe, he had seen the best thing in his life.  
Night was falling, and the stars were appearing, one by one, like diamonds in the sky. He was standing on a ledge, right outside of a cave, and in front of him was Primary Village. Of course, Joe would go there tonight. He was so happy he skipped down the trail and finally felt the rich, moist grass of Primary Village. He ran through the grass, glad that he would never have to walk in the hot sun again, glad to see no more rocky barren areas full of sand, glad that he would've have to stop to pull his shoes off so his feet didn't feel hurt.  
Joe sniffed the air. There WAS a rich, delicious scent coming from somewhere. The scent of dinner.  
Without realizing how hungry he was, Joe had reached the other side of the cave. Never in his life had he smelled something all that good. He ran towards it, trying to figure out which way to go. The shadow sulked back into the cave.  
Joe reached the pot. It was in a cauldron, in what seemed like a stable. There was a soup ladle in it. Joe looked in. It smelled of vegetable soup, and looked of nappa, carrots, and all the things that a [hungry] person would love, plus it was cooked until the carrots were soft, the way Joe liked it. Joe picked up the ladle, scooped some up, and brought it up to his mouth.  
He could smell it in front of him, could see the beautiful food, and never in his life had he prized this so much. He brought it up to his lips, still not touching it. Yet, something was holding him back.  
Then, as quickly as he had picked it up, he dropped the ladle and it sunk back into the broth. What was wrong? He suddenly remembered the signs.  
But should he start making the broth tonight? It was pretty late, and he could hardly see what he was doing, never less be able to make out a friend in the dark. But he wanted his Mimi back as soon as possible. Also, Joe didn't think he could go another day without food. In the tunnel, he had gotten a few drinks of water from a dripping stalactite, but not a refreshing drink. As a matter of fact, it made him even thirstier.  
Joe picked up Hikaru's picture. It was wrapped in with the remaining bits of his sandwich and half of an orange. Joe ate the sandwich (yes, the temptation of the broth was still very strong) and looked at the picture. Would he be able to find that egg?  
He had to. Hikaru didn't say how long the jewels could boil. Joe stepped back and looked at the fire, which the cauldron was on top of. It was pretty big. Joe whistled softly and dropped the jewels. He stepped out and started looking around.  
Joe had no idea how long it took him. It was starting to get chilly when he thought he found an egg that looked like it, but when he brought it back to light in the stable, it wasn't it. In frustration he put it back and looked again, and again.  
Joe wasn't sure how long after that it took, but he knew he found it before midnight. In fact, before ten-thirty; because at ten-thirty, Joe always went to sleep. That was when his drowsy spell hit him, and no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't stay awake. Repeating the signs over again, Joe dipped the egg into the broth and then let go. His egg started to sink.  
Joe's temptation to eat was drifting away. The broth was now pink and greenish, not at all looking like something Joe would like to devour. He wondered, if he was able to eat the broth, how it would taste like. Dismissing the thought, he wandered out again, tired. The drowsy spell was coming on. He repeated the signs to himself again, hoping that he had down them right, and was very reassured when they matched up.  
He imagined himself remembering that he had done something wrong and trying to pull the egg out of the broth, his hands full of blisters. He wondered what would happen, and the temptation was always strong. But Joe knew what he was up against, something that should not be risked or played around with. He lay down on the grass. A cool breeze shifted back and forth, and the next second, a shadow was over him.  
Joe had his eyes closed, but he noticed the shift in the wind. He opened his eyes.  
"Ah!" He said.  
"Hey." The Digimon said. "Is that the way you greet an old friend?"  
"Elecmon!" Joe sputtered, spinning his head around, his heart beating even faster than when Mimi had kissed him…well, maybe not quite.  
"I'm sorry." Elecmon said. "I was fishing in the cave and followed you here."  
"And all around Primary Village too?" Joe asked frantically.  
"Oh, good heavens no." Elecmon said. "After you arrived down here, I lost track of you, and then went to feed the crying babies. They were hungry. Say, what were you doing? And why are you here?"  
"It's a long story." Joe said. "How long have you been following me?"  
"Oh, ever since you were in the cave."  
"You were?"  
"I mean, ever since you came across my fishing grounds. Then, I thought that was you, but could never be sure, you kept moving and your back was facing me, so I decided I had enough fish and left. I didn't want to approach so I just followed, and didn't want to say anything until I was sure that it was you." Joe took all this in and repeated the remaining signs.  
"Elecmon." Joe said softly. Elecmon placed a lantern over them, lighting up the area. "Do you remember Mimi?"  
"The little pink daisy?" Elecmon asked, chuckling. Joe considered this and nodded. "Why, of course! What's happened?" Joe could not bring himself to say it, even though he knew that he ought to, it was part of the plan. Yet, it was still too painful.  
"She's left." He managed to croak.  
"What?"  
"Yes."  
"Are you serious? How?" Elecmon said. Joe bravely started his story, up to the ceremony of the funeral.  
He found that the more he got into the story, the easier it was to tell. Elecmon was crying before long, and to his surprise, Joe was too. There were just some things that (even if Mimi came back) wouldn't be the same forever.  
Elecmon was so caught up in this that he asked no more questions, and in the end, he dismissed himself. Joe returned to the broth, desperately hoping that Elecmon had not seen him take the pink jewel, and repeated the signs again. He had them fully memorized by now.  
Joe reached towards the cauldron's big handles. To his surprise, it was light, like the angels had said. The fire had already burned out. He walked to the lake, carrying it, and then threw the broth as well as he could towards the center of the lake. It nearly splattered in the same spot. Joe returned the cauldron to the stable.  
Joe walked back to the lake, his eyelids heavy. Hikaru had said to camp at the lake, but Joe was so tired that he sat down by a stump near the lake and fell asleep. Elecmon, passing him while doing the last of his night chores, placed a blanket gently over him.  
Joe woke up around nine. The sun was bright in the air, and yet it was chilly. There had been fog in the air, but it had all cleared now, well, almost. There was still a speck of fog near the middle of the lake. Joe rubbed his eyes.  
How long would the miracle take?  
The fog started to clear, and suddenly, it was gone. Joe had expected to see Mimi in the middle, but instead he saw nothing. Had he done something wrong? If so, what was it? Why wasn't his Mimi in front of him? Never less, Joe began to worry. Shaking off the blanket (he didn't even notice it was there) he walked, or rather, crawled to the side of the lake. Maybe it was because he had almost eaten the broth?  
Then suddenly, a stream of water shot up, and then, it seemed to jump back in the water. It left behind a lovely maiden.  
Her brown hair was damp, not entirely wet, but damp. She was holding her hair, trying the squeeze the water out of it, and when she opened her eyes, they looked straight at  
Him.  
They eyes met and locked, and for a moment, Joe couldn't move. Then Joe found himself splashing and running in the water towards her. She was dressed in some purple dress, with a pink hat sitting beside her and a green ribbon on her hand, which she tied in her hair.  
Water droplets flew down like diamonds as he made his way towards her. And then, he felt her against him, crying and sobbing wildly.  
"I thought I'd never see you again, Joe." She said, tears in her eyes. Joe now realized she was kneeling on a lily pad, a very fragile lily pad, that looked as if if a little weight had been put on it, it wouldn't tip over and break, or split.  
It was like her, the small figure that seemed as delicate as if she were made of china, with the warm, chocolate eyes staring straight into his blue ones.  
"Mimi." That was all he could say. He reached up to her, and (clinging on the lily pad as an effort not to drown) kissed her. "I've missed you so much; I thought you were never going to come back."  
"Neither did I myself." She said. "Until I met the angels. They said to me that if someone cared enough, a prince charming will wish for them and they will send him to rescue me. They said that both of us deserved a second chance."  
"That's awfully nice of them." Joe murmured, his hands stroking her hair.  
"I know." Mimi slid off of the lily pad. "I like this lily pad."  
"Let's drag it to shore." And with two of them, they were able to drag the enormous lily pad to shore.  
"Shouldn't we repay them somehow?" Joe asked.  
"The only way to do that." Mimi began. "Is for a prince charming to go and save them. But Hikaru wants to stay where she is, she doesn't want any change, and Jade is fine with her studies of time. Reine, well, she agrees with them, but I think she possesses a secret desire to be free again. But now with us. She wants to be with whoever is her destiny, her freedom, with her life."  
"I see." Joe said. "So it won't do them any good if we tried to help." Mimi shook her head sadly and walked up to the shore and they both collapsed on the grass, all dripping wet. The lily pad lay unbroken between them. Mimi looked at the lily pad.  
"Like our friendship." She said.  
"And love." Joe pressed his lips against hers. "I love you Mimi."  
It was a few minutes later when Elecmon discovered them, and suggested they put the lily pad back. They agreed, deciding that it would have somewhat a longer life that way. To this day, this lily pad lies in the center of the pond of Primary Village. And Mimi, though all the Digidestind and Digimon came to visit her, could not go on earth, so therefore she loved the sacred place, and once a year, she would mysteriously appear on the lily pad, paddle over to the shore, and tell her audience her story.  
Joe returned to his house (to find that his grades had dropped slightly, to his disappointment) with a jolly face. He could not remember, but it might've been the first time he had smiled since he left Mimi. Of course he had smiled when he saw her, but I mean on earth.  
The story was spread to everyone (who knew about the Digital World) and they went occasionally to visit. But what Joe loved most were those evenings alone with Mimi.  
And Mimi would say, "You risked your whole life for me, Joe. Perhaps you don't know how much it's worth, but once you've been dead and alive again, you can see the real picture so well. You are such a gallantry hero in my eyes." And she would look at him with all the love and affection in the whole world.  
It WAS worth all those pains, all those days of hardship, life misery, and all those days that I had to fight, it was worth it, worth all of that, you to be with  
You.  
  
Joe: *snuggles against Mimi* That was a nice ending Yuki  
Me: *shrug* It was rather corny, but very kawaii, I thought.  
Joe: So when ARE you going to write that Kouyako?  
Me: Kouyakos. I have 2, and when they're done, I'll post the titles here.  
Joe: Wow, two. And don't you have piano competition this weekend.  
Me: That doesn't mean I can't write. I CAN do it, and I have Sunday too.  
Joe: Just dedicated to your Kouyakos?  
Me: And perhaps a chapter of Jewel Quest.  
Little Guy in the Back of My Mind; We're getting off topic.  
Me: Oops, okay, thank you for reading. I don't think there's anything in here I have to explain that I left off, however, there might be, and if there is, please tell me! (But nicely)  
Joe: Please Review too. I did a good job acting *glare from Yuki* I mean...Yuki did a good job writing.  
^-^ thanks! 


End file.
